Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Thunder and lightning (2-second count). Rain is falling just to our south and is moving our direction. Strong cell built over ALPINE and is almost stationary. They received over an inch in one hour yesterday. While the current lineup of cells may pass us by again, there is no certainty of that at all.Best to be prepared. Tie down stuff that will blow around (small cats?), secure animals, put on the coffee and keep check on conditions.The San Diego radar was down this morning. And I just heard a BIG clap of thunder.

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

We were under a brief Severe Thunderstorm Warning this afternoon, and there remains a threat of rain until 4:30 this afternoon. The heat was amazing... at one point our thermometer measured 98° and thirty minutes later it had dropped to 87° as the storm cells built to the north. Though we were on the very edge of the warning area, I'll bet most of us hoped for some of that rain and a serious drink for our backcountry. We still have a couple more hours of heavy rain threat, so finger crossed, and hopefully no dry lighting.

Here's a couple of radar grabs from earlier. This is our monsoon season—such as it is. Keeps things interesting.

If you have completed your 2017 Sunrise Powerlink Defensible Space grant project for APN 6000705700 you can submit the work completion documents now.

Complete the Work Completion Form, sign and provide dated detailed paid receipts for your completed project. If you did the work yourself, list your hours and use the Program charge rates from the WORK COMPLETION page on the Grants Program website. To be considered for reimbursement, paid receipts must be provided for your approved eligible grant activities.

The Defensible Space Work Completion Form and instructions are on the Grants Program website WORK COMPLETION page.

UPDATE... AND A NEIGHBOR'S GOOD SUGGESTION: I am about to upload my work completion form, and I encourage everyone who was selected, but their approved dollar amount was reduced to do what I am doing. I was cut by 50 percent. That would be approximately $1000 dollars, however it still cost me over $2000 dollars to do the work.

SDG&E is banking on people only putting the approved maximum amount in the work completion form. For me that would be about $1000 dollars. If people put only the approved amount, SDG&E will use that information and statistically build a case that it takes less money to do the same work. This could go one over a few years, and they might cut the approved totals another 50 percent and then they would slowly wiggle out of the commitment.

I encourage everyone to put down the actual cost that you spent, or if you did the work yourself the labor charges and time that you did and not just what they allow. This will stop any number crunching on SDG&E part and hopefully give us a case of how unfair it is to be reduced. —Dennis Clarke

Friday, July 14, 2017

Three small vegetation fires are burning on Lyons Valley Road east of 4-Corners. One fire is near the Honor Camp on the north side of the road. The other two are west of that on the South side of the Lyons Valley Rd.

On scene are units from Deerhorn and Jamul and air support (fixed wing and helicopter). Dispatcher just relayed that other units en route and not yet near the fires can cancel (good news... means units on scene have handle on fires). Units on scene, or close to arriving are staying to fight fire.

A resident on Lyons Valley Road east of 4-Corners says at least one fire plane has made at least six low passes over his home.

Keep your eyes and ears and noses open. What wind there is is blowing from the west toward the east.